Samsung openly apologises to European Note 7 owners, promises to do better

Samsung Europe has published an open and frank letter of apology to all European owners of the Galaxy Note 7, including those in the UK.

President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe, YH Eom, says that the company is still investigating every aspect of manufacturing for the Note 7, including the batteries, and will publicly release its findings in order to be "transparent". He also claims that Samsung will learn from the process and seek to earn back consumer trust.

Production of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was ceased at the beginning of October after a troubled period in which many smartphones caught fire, exploded or failed in a way which, in some cases, caused harm to users and/or their surroundings. After a mass recall and replacement programme, it was discovered that some of the replacement phones were suffering the same fates.

Eom claims that Samsung is still working to ensure that all Galaxy Note 7's in circulation are replaced with other handsets.

Here is his open apology letter in full:

"At Samsung, we innovate to deliver breakthrough technologies that enrich people’s lives. An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise.

"Because we had not gone on general sale in Europe with the Note 7, there were a small number of affected customers here. For those customers who received the device during the pre-order phase, we recognise that we have not lived up to your expectations, or our own high standards. For this we are truly sorry.

"We take seriously our responsibility to address concerns about safety and quality. In collaboration with government agencies and industry partners around the world, we are taking proactive steps to do better. Here is an update of our actions.

"As you have heard – or experienced personally – we have stopped production of the Galaxy Note 7. We are working swiftly to ensure every Note 7 device is safely returned. For those directly affected, we appreciate your patience throughout the replacement process.

"Samsung is fully committed to identifying and addressing the source of the Note 7’s battery issue. We have already initiated investigations with independent third party experts to carefully revisit every aspect of the device, including the battery, hardware and software, and manufacturing processes. Once available, we will transparently share our findings.

"Samsung has a long heritage of innovation and we have shown that we can and will learn from our mistakes. While we are always looking to innovate and create the next generation of great consumer technology, safety will remain our top priority. We will invest to better serve your needs through enhanced customer care and quality assurance.

"On behalf of all our employees across Europe, we are truly sorry, and grateful for your ongoing support. We will listen to you, learn from this and act in a way that allows us to win back your trust."